Minority Language Learning and Use: Can Self-Determination Counter Social Determinism?

To what extent is minority language use in society imposed by social determinism, a force acting on individuals based on the language group's relative vitality in terms of demography, institutional support, and status? Can social determinism be countered by the force of self-determination sustained by group members’ personal autonomy, critical consciousness, and strong engaged integrated identity? These questions are addressed by testing a revised Self-determination and ethnolinguistic development (SED) model, using structural equation modeling. This model specifies how three categories of language socialization (enculturation, personal autonomization, critical consciousness-raising) mediate between objective ethnolinguistic vitality (EV) and four psycholinguistic constructs (engaged integrated identity, community engagement, linguistic competencies, subjective EV) in the prediction of minority language use. Results on a large sample of French Canadian students in different EV settings strongly support the SED model and show that social determinism can be at least moderately countered by psycholinguistic constructs that increase individual self-determination.

The Ethnolinguistic Vitality of Konjo in Bulukumba Regency of South Sulawesi, Indonesia

The maintenance of an ethnic language in a multilingual setting depends on many factors, and it is including language vitality. This study examines the vitality of the Konjo language in South Sulawesi. By demonstrating the ethnolinguistic vitality (EV) theory, this descriptive study examines Konjo language vitality in two contexts: ethnically homogeneous and ethnically heterogeneous areas in Bulukumba Regency. In the homogenous area, status, demographic, and institutional support are factors to contribute to the EV of Konjo. However, in the heterogeneous area, demographic factors contribute little while status and institutional support contribute to the maintenance of the language. The result of this study shows that the sheer number of Konjo community members distributed throughout the heterogeneous area is not sufficient for language maintenance. Nevertheless, Konjo EV remains high overall because of the community’s strong cultural and ethnic identification with their heritage language..

JAVANESE LANGUAGE AS AN ETHNIC IDENTITY MARKER AMONG MULTILINGUAL FAMILIES IN INDONESIA

The rise of a pan-Indonesian national identity and the global significance of English have weakened heritage languages in Indonesia’s various ethnolinguistic communities. Focusing on the case of Javanese, the largest ethnic group, this study examines the role of the HL as an ethnic marker and its interplay with factors such as ethnic self-identification, proficiency, and usage frequency. The data were collected via parental surveys of 183 primary school children in East Java. The findings indicate that the Javanese language is still highly valued as ethnic marker and that Javanese people view its maintenance as central to their identity construction. However, inconsistencies are identified between attitudes and practices, with use of Javanese as a home language decreasing, and children’s production showing extensive influence from Indonesian. Taken together, positive attitudes regarding the Javanese as identity marker and the apparent ethnolinguistic vitality of Javanese is not necessarily translated into intergenerational transmission.

Ethnolinguistic Vitality of the Subanen Tribe in Barangay Sebasi, Clarin

The Philippines is the home of 120-187 dialects by different indigenous groups of people. One of them is the Subanen language which is spoken in various areas of northern, western and southern portions of the Zamboanga peninsula. Many Subanen shows linguistic inadequacy in their own mother tongue-the Subanen language. This study aimed to identify the language vitality of the Subanen in Sebasi, Clarin. Specifically, this study seeks to determine the variables of ethnolinguistic vitality which are respondents’ status, demography, and institutional support and to identify their skills in understanding, speaking, reading and writing in Subanen language. Through researcher-made instruments, the study conducted an actual test and an assessment of the ethnolinguistic vitality of the Subanen respondents. An observation checklist was used in assessing the respondents’ linguistic competence of the Subanen language which catered to four language skills-comprehension, speaking, reading and writing. This was followed by series of interviews to determine the variables for ethnolinguistic vitality including status, demography, and institutional support. Using weighted mean and standard deviation, the researchers was able to determine the respondents’ performance in all linguistic skills tested. Results revealed a weak vitality of the Subanen language in the city. The study revealed that intrinsic and extrinsic factors such as language contact, parental apathy, mixed marriages, and tribal discrimination are contributory factors affecting the language vitality. Further, the interviews revealed the major factors negatively affecting the vitality of the Subanen language in the tribal community in Barangay Sebasi. These factors include (1) language contact, specifically between the Subanen language and the Bisayan dialect, (2) mixed marriages between a Subanen and a “Bisaya," (3) apathy of Subanen parents to teach the language to their children, and (4) discrimination against the Subanen tribe. It is recommended that contemporary Subanen should take more decisive steps in revitalizing their first language for cultural preservation and tribal identity.